DBA 3.0 armies, projects and campaigns set in the ancient, medieval and fantasy periods.

Saturday, 24 December 2016

From Migration to Kingdom – the campaign

During the past months, readers
of the blog have noted a number of test campaigns based on the nomadic steppe
types invading the Roman or Sassanid empire. “Migration to Kingdom” steps away
from the usual military campaign as it is based on the barbarian crossing of
the Rhine in 406 AD and ends with them reaching Hispania. Selecting this event
as theme for a campaign posed a number of problems with regard to available
information, yet such a campaign would offer much play potential.

Let me preface this by stating
briefly the situation. At the turn of the 5th century AD, both
halves of the Roman Empire were odds with one another as how best to handle the
Gothic situation in Illyria and Thrace. This was quickly followed by a number
of Germanic invasions of Raetia and the Pannonian provinces; both critical
situations which had drawn off the Gallic field army to combat the incursions.
The situation was further exacerbated by Saxon invasions of Britannia from
across the channel coupled with the Picts and other tribes invading from the
north and all combined to leave Gaul ripe for an invasion from across the
Rhine.

The Barbarians

The migrating horde, formed
primarily of Vandals (Asding and Siling), Alans and Suevi which included a
number of Germanic tribes numbered a conservative 100,000 to half a million. To
describe the invasion as coordinated is an overestimation as they were capable
of fighting amongst themselves as against Rome resulting with the smaller
tribes breaking away to seek a safe haven elsewhere. It is documented that concentrations
of Alan settled around Paris and southern Gaul and likewise, the Burgundi found
new lands in the southern regions.

The end date for the migration
is generally recorded as the fall of 409 AD and knowing this I decided to
design the campaign as three separate scenarios, one for each year. This
campaign most likely would not be completed in one evening, but certainly
within three. Then with each scenario defined by set parameters and objectives
this offered players the advantage of rotating as a Roman or barbarian player.

Rome

In designing the scenarios I
did not want to place too enormous a burden for the Roman player, but
historically this was a tumultuous period for Rome. Stilicho had beaten the
Vandals of Radagaisus and before his plans to free Illyricum from the Goths of
Alaric, Gildo, a Roman general, led a revolt in Africa threatening the grain
supply for Rome. And at the end of 406 AD one of the largest migrations of
barbarians took place.

It may seem that the Roman
player would be dealt a bad hand there are a number of factors that play in his
favour; the Franks and the arrival of Constantine III from Britannia with an
army.

Play test

In the coming weeks I will be
testing each of the scenarios and included will be some form of internal
rivalries among the barbarian tribes which may produce battles smaller than the
usual twelve elements per side.